The historic Old Bailey street is probably best known for the famous court that sits upon it. However, far from laying down the law, the area is now home to a sleek, stylish hotel where you can instead lay down your head. Hyde London City Hotel, which opened just last month (September 2024), welcomes visitors to its Grade II-listed building for a stay where old meets new, and character is king. With an on-site Turkish restaurant and intimate cocktail bar joining its guest rooms, I was intrigued – so I took an overnight visit. Read on for my review of Hyde London City Hotel.
The hotel
Located a mere minute’s walk from the High Holborn entrance to City Thameslink station, Hyde London City Hotel is the first Hyde location in the UK; however, the brand has locations around the world, including Bodrum, Ibiza, Johannesburg, and Miami. The hotel is spread across seven floors, with an altogether modern feel, despite its historic surroundings.
The building itself was first opened as a hotel in 1874; a plaque bearing this info is displayed at the entrance. As a Grade II-listed building, many original features still sit amongst the modern decor – the stairs and windows, for example. I absolutely loved the old-time dial that indicated the lift’s floors.
The rooms at the Hyde London City Hotel are inspired by festival terminology, with room names including VIP and headliner; one of the hotel’s ethos is ‘it’s always summer at Hyde’. The room in which I stayed was decorated in a Charles Darwin theme, as a nod to his theory and the original hotel being conceived at the same time. I was also advised that those in the original hotel would pay more for this room, as it had the best views of the public hangings outside the Old Bailey… I was very grateful that just the fountain remains here!
I adored my room; in here, the hotel truly lived up to being a business hotel with fun and character. Gone were the cotton bathroom slippers, and in their place were sliders with arch support – I felt like I was walking on a cloud. I also loved the towel ponchos; they were a warm hug in the cold October temperatures. Even the mini bar was special: from pitta chips in unique flavours to sour fizzy sweets.
The restaurant – Leydi
Sitting on the ground floor of the hotel, you’ll find Hyde’s Turkish restaurant, Leydi. From the moment you step into this dining area, you will be transported. I loved the odes to Turkish culture, such as the pomegranate painting and the arches between the seating areas. My favourite design quirk, though, was the lampshade made out of zips. Leydi (pronounced like ‘lady’) aims to replicate the all-day, relaxed food culture of Istanbul right here in London, with a particular focus on sharing mezes: think home-baked bread, and Mangal-grilled meat and fish.
I had two meals at Leydi during my stay: breakfast and lunch. I loved how the restaurant put Turkish twists on classic hotel breakfasts; my avocado toast was seasoned well, and I had the option to add on beef bacon instead of the usual pork. Instead of a full English, there was a large Turkish breakfast option. Oh, and you MUST order the orange juice; it was so fresh, I could have ordered it by the bucket load.
For lunch, I opted for the mixed grill, so I could try various dishes. The shish kofte was a symphony of flavour, while the lamb kebap was both buttery soft and lightly crisped at the same time; it was delectable. The chicken shish was also flavoursome and juicy. Perhaps best all though was the gorgeous slide of toasted Turkish bread below the meat, which soaked up all the flavour. You must be sure to dip both the bread and meat into the lightly spiced tomato dip, as it pairs perfectly. I opted for a lunchtime cinnamon and rose mocktail; the ginger beer tones complimented the meat well. Even if you think you can’t have a dessert, a singular scoop of their homemade ice cream is a nice way to finish the meal.
We interviewed Leydi’s head chef as part of our Kitchen Chatter series – read the interview here.
The bar – Black Lacquer
Elsewhere in the hotel, you’ll find the intimate underground bar, Black Lacquer. It’s one of the few bars in the area that holds a license to open until 3am (though closes at 2am currently). On our visit, the electric music was pumping, reflective of the curated vinyl collection on display. The DJ plays towards a mirror, which one of the staff explained is to replicate a DJ playing at a festival with crowds behind them, and also the mirror is nostalgic for playing music for yourself in your room.
Black Lacquer primarily serves riffs on classic cocktails, and a succinct menu of Tokyo-inspired small plates. We tried Big In Japan (similar to a classic Long Island), Violent Technologies (a tart mocktail), and a rum daiquiri. The daiquiris were our favourite, as were the seemingly endless pots of popcorn that accompanied our cocktails…
To conclude this review of Hyde London City Hotel, it was one of the few hotels in London that felt like a home away from home for me. There was little pretentiousness: just good vibes, nice food, and great sliders (sorry, but I was obsessed with the comfort of those bedroom slippers!). The bar and restaurants are great finds, whether you’re a staying guest or not, and the hotel itself is well-placed for those travelling by train, or tube (Holborn and Chancery Lane are within walking distance). Much like the neighbourhood in which it sits, it’s old meets new, and bags of character.